Thirty Minutes
by Midnightkid02
Summary: AU Bound and Blindfolded in the corner of a cold damp room, Lacus' only hope of rescue is a Squad of Special Forces Operators. For one of the Operators, this would be his very first mission. Kira/Lacus
1. Ten Mikes Out

**Personally, I think the title is a bit bland, but nothing else came to mind. This is just an idea I've had running through my head for the past couple days. I pretty much have the whole thing figured and the way things are looking, this should be about 6-8 Chapters. I don't own the Gundam Franchise and all that Jazz =P**

"Ten Minutes!" Hearing the words of the Black Hawk Crew Chief, Kira slapped a 30-round magazine into his M4 carbine and pulled back on the charging handle, chambering a round with a satisfying click. Looking down at his weapon, Kira's eyes snapped back outside the cabin window into the dark night. Buildings, which illuminated the overcast moonless sky, zoomed passed the window as the Black Hawk traveled low and fast across the Middle Eastern city.

With the exception of the whirling blades and roar of the Black Hawk's engines, silence filled the red-light lit cabin. The rest of the six-man Special Forces Squad were focused, triple checking their equipment as the helicopter neared the objective. Kira looked away at the window, his eyes wandering around the dim cabin. His eyes slowed, stopping over the blond-haired, tan-skinned support gunner. Dearka, the Squads weapons expert, fed a belt of ammunition from his drum magazine into his M249 SAW.

Kira's eyes shifted over to the man next to him. The long, silver haired grenadier was fixated on his weapon. Detecting his gaze, Yzak cranked his neck, looking towards Kira, and glared at him. Kira didn't react to the glare, but he was intrigued at the distinct long scar that sat between the grenadier's eyes. Yzak gave a cocky smile before focusing back onto his weapon. He popped a 40mm grenade into the M203 grenade launcher that sat under the hand guard of his M16A4. Slamming the breach of the M203 shut, the explosives guru cradled his weapon and shot a glare at Nicol, who sat across from him.

"You better not choke out there Amalfi!" Yzak shouted with a smug look, his words distorted against the roar of the Black Hawk. Kira's eyes shifted towards the green haired youth that sat to the left of him. Nicol rolled his eyes at Yzak's remarks and focused back on checking his signal with HQ on his man-pack, a portable radio carried in his assault pack. Often the receiving end of Yzak's negative comments and the focus of the squad's jokes, the young communications expert was never questioned when it came towards his expertise.

Glaring at Yzak, Athrun stood up towards his teammate's defense. "Lay off him Joule." Shaking his head, he slid the bolt home into his M24 sniper rifle, emphasizing his words. Nicol looked towards the purple-haired scout and nodded giving his thanks. Yzak chuckled at Athrun's response and leaned back against his seat.

"If you kids are done bickering, I'm gonna go ahead and brief you on the situation." The squad's attention focused in on the blond-haired Commanding Officer, Mwu La Flaga. Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, Mwu got comfortable and began his brief. "One hour ago, Seigel Clyne, the Ambassador to the region's, convoy was hit in a well-coordinated and well executed attack by insurgent forces while enroute to Camp Freedom from Onogoro International airport. Said forces hit the convoy using vehicle-borne IED's and small arms fire. The security element escorting the Ambassador took heavy losses, but managed to secure and exfiltrate the Ambassador from the combat zone…"

"If Clyne's okay, then what the hell is the point of sending us over there Sir?" Yzak shouted, cutting off the commander. Dearka nudged Yzak sharply with his elbow, prompting Yzak to apologize in a tone lighter than his previous outburst. "My apologies Sir…"

Clearing his throat, Mwu continued his brief. "As I was saying, though Ambassador Clyne was secured and evacuated, his daughter wasn't so lucky. Insurgent forces captured her before the security element could rescue her. Satellite and thermal images have been tracking their getaway since the attack and current intel indicates that she's smack dab in the middle of hostile territory. Does that answer you question Joule?" Yzak scoffed at the Commander's remark, making Mwu chuckle in return. "With that said, Intel says they stopped moving and have been stationary for the last thirty-mikes, so it's imperative we secure our mark before enemy forces relocate or decide to execute her."

Giving a few seconds for the squad to soak in the information, Mwu dug into his trousers and pulled out a map from one of the cargo pouches. Laying it out on the floor of the cabin, he took out black marker then continued. "The insurgent forces took refuge in abandoned three story apartment complex along Astray Rd… here." Mwu circled the hotel on the map, then drew an X an inch away from the Circle. "This is our insertion point, two-klicks south-southeast of the objective. We have a narrow time frame on this, so we need to beat feet and haul ass to the objective."

Usually informal and relaxed with his brief, Mwu's tone turned serious. His eyes locked onto the eyes of his squad. "Stay alert though, intel indicates we're looking at a squad to platoon sized element, not to mention we're smack dab in the middle of no-mans land with limited support." Mwu locked eyes with Kira's before he shot him a smile and focusing back on the map. "Once we breach the complex, we need to clear it out and locate our principle within 5 mikes or we're condemning Ms. Clyne to her death. Total time on the ground from insertion to extraction should be no more than thirty-minutes… back in time for dinner."

"Do we have a picture of the principle Sir?" Kira asked, his tone reflecting his hesitation. Mwu reached into his tactical vest pocket and pulled out a picture. He handed it to Kira, who in turn studied the image. The picture looked like it was taken at a park during the Spring time. The girl in the photo was young, possibly in her late teens. She wore a bright blue strapless sundress that was accented with a white vest. Her dress flowed around her, dancing in the breeze when the picture was taken. Her pink bangs hovered over her sky blue eyes, the rest of her pink locks flowing behind her. Her smile beamed, as if enticing him, easing the tense feeling in his stomach. _'She's… beautiful' _Kira thought as he gawked at the picture.

"Hey Newbie, quit hoggin' the action!" Kira snapped out of his trance when the picture was violently snatched out of his hands by Dearka. "Hey, Hey! What do we have here?" Dearka let out a whistle as the rest of the Squad crowded over his shoulder. "Now this is someone I don't mind risking my ass over!"

"I agree with you Elsman, She's very pretty." Nicol added. Slightly annoyed at the lapse in professionalism displayed by his subordinates, Mwu let out of cough before snatching the picture back.

"Anyway, The principle's name is Lacus Clyne. Yamato…" Kira perked up and looked at the Commander with determination. "Once we secure Ms. Clyne, you're gonna be her shadow." Kira digested the information and nodded in response. '_Shadowing her means I have to stay within close proximity of her_…_ never leaving her side.'_ Kira blushed at the thought, but maintained his military bearing. " As the Squad Medical Specialist, you need to ensure her well-being and overall safety. On top of that, you're brand spanking new to the Unit, which means you're the most inexperienced. In fact, this is your first Op with this Squad..." Kira nodded as the Commander winked and shot Kira a smile. "Hate to say it kid, but you're playing babysitter on this Op."

"You make that sound like a bad thing Sir!" Dearka glared at Kira and smirked. "Damn it Yamato, last time we had a rescue Op, I had to shadow some smelly, ugly ass dude, and here you are. Mr. Newbie himself, getting to play hero for the damsel in distress." Kira chuckled as the environment in the cabin lightened.

That relief in tension was short lived however as the Crew Chief's voice filled the cabin. "One Minute!" The Squad put there game faces on, donning on their gear and securing their equipment. Kira slipped in his earpiece, then threw on his baklava, masking his face from the elements. His Kevlar helmet followed soon after, while the rest of the Squad mimicked his actions.

Mwu spoke into his throat mic to test the Squad's commo. "Radio Check…" The Squad in unison threw up a thumbs up as he donned his baklava and helmet. Picking up his M4 carbine, Mwu slammed a magazine into the weapon, then racked the charging handle home with a distinct clink. "well then kids, let's do what we do best..." In unison, the Squad sounded off with their Squad Motto, grins behind their masks… "Make the Impossible, Possible! Hooah!"

**A/N - I tried to keep the Army Jargon to an absolute minimum. If I didn't, this story would be filled with Acronyms and lingo that most of you wouldn't understand. XD**


	2. The Convoy

**This was gonna be apart of chapter one, but It was lengthy enough to make it a separate chapter. Again, don't own the Gundam Franchise.**

Lacus was crawled up in a ball in the corner of the dark room her capture threw her in. Her hair was disheveled and tears continued to slide down the sides of her cheeks. She had been blind folded, her hands were tied behind her back since her ordeal began. Lacus was weak, her head throbbed, her leg hurt, and she could feel blood trickle down the side of her thigh.

Trying to ease her mind off the pain, Lacus began to think of how the situation started. Landing at the airport, she was separated from her father and placed in another vehicle in the convoy, for her own protection and safety apparently. The black four-door SUV she was in was a vehicle behind her father's, vehicle-four of the five-vehicle convoy. The convoy moved out of the airport with haste, hopping onto the highway at combat speed.

An Up-armored Humvee took the lead with Siegel Clyne's SUV following behind it. A second Humvee took position in the center, while one trailed behind Lacus' SUV. The vehicles were spaced out 50 meters apart, traveling at roughly 45 MPH. Everything seemed to be alright during the drive to Camp Freedom, until the gun truck in front of her SUV disappeared in a massive fireball.

"IED! IED! IED! Victor-Three is down!" Riding shotgun, the Convoy Commander, Commander Le Creuset, shouted into radio. The convoy screeched to a halt, as Lacus looked around and stared at the faces of her stone faced protectors. Looking over his shoulder Le Creuset barked instructions at the Soldier to Lacus' left. "Koenig, go ahead and dismount." Lacus looked over at the Soldier as he nodded and exited the vehicle, slamming the door behind him shut. Koenig brought his rifle up to his shoulder and rested his creek on the buttstock, his eyes looking down the sight of his weapon. He surveyed the immediate area and cautiously advanced away from the SUV. Movement attracted Lacus' attention back to the front of the vehicle as Le Creuset reached into the glove box and unfolded a chart of some sort.

Looking out the front windshield, Lacus could see at a distance Soldiers pulling out the wounded from the burning vehicle in front of them. "Freedom-Six… This is Justice-Three, over." Lacus tensed up at the Convoy Commander's voice. Becoming more aware and more afraid of the situation, something in her screamed that something wasn't right.

"Freedom-Six, our convoy just took a hit from an IED." Looking at the Commander, Lacus caught movement at the side of her peripheral vision. " We're currently on grid Echo Hotel One Zero Zero Five, Three…". Le Creuset never finished his sentence as he was enveloped in a flash of light. Lacus felt the heat of the blast as the SUV was flipped onto it's roof from force of the explosion.

Disoriented, Lacus faded in and out of consciousness. _'whats… happening?'_ She remembered being gently pulled from the vehicle and carried away from the SUV. Hearing muffled pops in the distance, Lacus tried to make sense of the situation '_is that, gunfire?'_. She was gently laid on the ground as the Soldier who carried her took up a kneeling position, his attention on the people behind him. Lacus looked at the muzzle of his rifle, but shut her eyes from the flash that emitted from it.

The gunshots snapped her out of her Daze as the Soldier's yells brought her back to the reality of her situation. "Are you Alright?" Lacus glanced at the Soldier and realized it was Koenig, the soldier who dismounted earlier. Lacus attempted to prop herself onto her elbows, but was knocked back down her rescuer, who jumped on top of her. "Get down!" Koenig yelled as the dirt around them exploded around them. Whining noises from the bullets tearing though the air filled Lacus' ears. Sensing their dire situation, The brown haired soldier rolled off of her and propped himself on his elbows, his rifle pointed at the origin of the gunfire.

Lacus quickly muffled her ears with her hands as Koenig returned fire. "Shit! Shit! We need to get out here!" Lacus looked at the determined face of the young soldier as he locked eyes with hers. His voice softened up, attempting to ease the terrified girl. "Do you think you can run…" Like a punctuation mark ending his sentence, Koenig was cut off, a round penetrated the side of his skull. His eyes, still locked onto Lacus', went glossy as his head plopped on the ground, blood pooling around the top of his head. Lacus snapped her eyes shut and let out a horrified scream.

Hearing foot steps and yelling in a foreign tongue, Lacus opened her eyes as the convoy's attackers encircled her. Still disoriented, she glanced up at her impending captors. One of them chuckled and spoke in his native language towards his comrades. Quickly, they swarmed around her, bounding her hands and blindfolding her. Lacus started to scream, but was quickly silenced by the butt of a rifle to the side of the head.

Once again, she faded in and out of consciousness. She remembered hearing laughs and the hum of an engine. She heard echoes as she was carried though a hall. She smelled a distinct odor, something strong like ammonia. Most of all, she remembered being dropped like a rag doll onto the cold wet floor of the room she was in now.

Lacus' thoughts were brought back to the present when she heard footsteps and talking just outside the door. _'I wanna go home… I wanna go home". _Fresh tears rolled down the side of Lacus' face as she broke into a sob. Her whimpers slowed when she heard a faint hum in the distance. The sounds was almost inaudible, but Lacus tuned into it like her life depended on it. Very slowly, it grew stronger and stronger, but it was still very faint. _'What is that?' _Lacus wondered as she tried to identify the sound. Soon, the weak hum became a distinct oscillating thump. It was the whirling blades of a helicopter.

**A/N - I f*ckin hate IED's.**


	3. The Insertion

**Don't own Gundam and all that good stuff**

Rotor wash kicked up sand around the helicopter as the Black Hawk moved into position over the insertion point. Hovering over an open courtyard in a remote part of the city, Mwu looked over at Dearka and Nicol, the two closest to the now open doors.

"Ropes!" the Squad leader shouted into his throat mic. In perfect unison, the two Operators tossed the thick braided rope out of the helicopter and onto the ground. Instinctively, the Squad began their descent down the two ropes one by one, taking turns sliding down the line.

Kira grasped the nylon line and leaned his body outside the helicopter. Quickly, he pinched the rope between his boots and began his descent. Within a matter of seconds, the Squad was on the ground securing the area, taking a kneeling position forming 360 degree perimeter. As quickly as it flew in, the Black Hawk was off flying into the distance.

Mwu looked over his shoulder, locking eyes with his communications expert, Nicol. Without a word, Nicol nodded back and quickly went to work informing headquarters with a status update.

Whispering into the throat mic, Mwu looked over at his Squad and took charge. " 30 minutes Boys, Zala… You take point." Nodding in response, Athrun advanced ahead of the Squad, moving North-Northwest towards the target building. In Unison, the team formed up into a staggered column. Flipping on their night vision goggles that were mounted on their helmets, the team moved out into the night

It was only 7PM, but the streets were dark and devoid of any life. The streets were dimly lit and most of the lights on the surrounding buildings were off. Kira staggered himself in the tactical column, following behind Nicol and ahead of Dearka. Quickly, but cautiously, the Squad weaved through the alleyways and narrow roads towards the hotel.

Kira's eyes were constantly scanning his sector of fire, searching for anyone who might pose a threat. He gripped his M4 tight to his shoulder, his weapon traveling with his eyes.

Ahead of the formation, Athrun brought his fist in the air, halting the Squad.

"I have eyes on two Tangos with AK47s , Twelve o'clock, 100 meters ahead." Kira took a knee, keeping a low silhouette as Athrun's voice filled his earpiece.

"Let's move up another 50 meters and investigate, if we can get around them, we'll sneak past. If not, take them down." The Commander's calm voice replied. The Squad continued their advance, cautiously trying to avoid the enemy's attention. Athrun managed to find a side street avoiding the armed combatants and quickly moved through it, the Squad close behind him.

Moving through the path, the Squad avoided being discovered prematurely into the mission. A few minutes after, the group of Operators weaved through various streets and alleyways. They encountered a few more armed insurgents along the way, but each time they moved around them, maintaining their hidden presence. Approaching an opening an alley way, Mwu brought his fist up, halting the Squad.

While the rest of the Operators took a knee, Mwu crept up further and peered around the corner. Taking a knee, he pulled a map out of his ankle pocket. Consulting his charts, Mwu surveyed the area. Satisfied with his observation, he packed up the map and pocketed it. Looking over his shoulder, he brought his hand up in the air flat, palm facing outward, and waved the Squad up to him.

"If my navigation skills aren't as rusty as I think they are, this should be Astray Rd. …" Mwu moved up to Athrun's position and pointed at a three story building. "…That should be our objective."

Picking up his sniper rifle and peering down the scope, Athrun confirmed the Commander's remark. "I have eyes on one… two… three… four…five Tangos. Two by the front door, two on the roof, and one sitting inside a truck across the street."

Patting his scout on the back, Mwu looked back at the Squad. "It took us fifteen minutes to get here, which means we have 15 minutes to secure the principle and pop smoke." The Commander brought his hand up, giving a thumbs up to the Squad since they couldn't see his smirk. "…That's plenty of time."

The Squad rallied up near the Commander while he formulated a hasty, but effective plan at taking the building. "Alright, we're splitting up into three teams once we're inside. Zala and Amalfi will clear out the first floor while Joule and Elsman clear the second…" Looking over at Kira, Mwu nodded. "…that leaves me and the kid on the third." Giving a thumbs up, the Squad rounded the corner and advanced towards the building.

Still 200m from the objective, the Squad crept through the shadows, masking their approach. Mwu placed a fist in the air, halting the Squad. "Alright, everyone Suppressors out… it's show time. Zala, take out the two on the roof. Joule the one in the truck is yours. Kid, I'll let you take the two by the front door… Fire on my mark."

Kira dropped to a knee and unthreaded the flash-hider on his M4. Digging into his tactical vest, he quickly took out the suppressor and threaded it onto the barrel of the weapon. Shouldering the weapon, Kira thumbed the safety to 'Fire' and peered through his ACOG sight. He slowed his breathing and propped his elbow on his knee, giving him a stable shooting platform. Even though the targets were roughly 50 meters away, this was the first time he would fire his weapon in aggression. It was also the first time he'd have to take a life.

"On my mark…" The Commander whispered into his throat mike. Kira spotted his two targets and placed them into his sights. His heart beat became sporadic and his breaths grew heavier as he waited for Mwu's command. "…Drop em!"

Kira squeezed the trigger, feeling the first bullet leave the barrel, the recoil traveling through his shoulder. The bullet connected with the first target center mass in the chest. His knees quickly gave way and he crumpled down onto the ground. Without wasting time, Kira placed the second target into his sights before he realized what had happened. He squeezed the trigger again sending another round downrange. The second target quickly fell over, the round connecting with his face. The only sound he could hear was the sounds of his own heartbeat and the metallic clinks of the brass hitting the ground.

Looking through his sights in case Kira choked, Mwu watched the two targets crumple onto the ground. Placing his weapon on safe, he crept up behind the young Operator. "Good hit kid, you nailed them" The Commander lightly said as he patted him on the Back. Kira however didn't respond, nor did he move. His rifle was still leveled with the target and his eye was still peering down the scope. "Kid? Yamato… Kira!" Mwu whispered loudly as he shook him from his trance.

"Huh?" Kira seemed dazed but looked at the Commander.

"Good job kid, now lets move." Mwu replied as he passed the young Operator. Kira stood up and looked over at the Squad. Athrun and Yzak both dropped their targets effectively. Yzak grinned at the new addition and scoffed before walking off.

Athrun walked up to Kira and placed a hand on his shoulder before following behind Yzak. "Don't worry, you get used to it." Moving passed the nostalgic Operator, Athrun took up point in front the Squad. Realizing he was in danger of being left behind, Kira quickly stood up and fell into position behind the team.

Approaching the target building, the Squad trained their weapons on anywhere a person could spring out of. Kira retained his sector of fire and scanned the windows of the building. It didn't take long before they reached the front door of the abandoned hotel and they could see it was abandoned for a reason.

The three story structure was bombed out and in danger of collapse. The sand colored bricks that made up the hotel were filled with holes and cracks. Some windows were shattered and it didn't look like there was power running through the building.

Reaching the entrance first, Yzak looked over at the two bodies by the door. He approached the two recipients of Kira's handiwork and kicked the weapons away from them. The Squad caught up and stacked up along the side of the door, in a single file. Knowing every second counted, Mwu wasted no time and quickly instructed the Squad. "Since it's a hotel, the stairs should be somewhere near the entrance. Secure Ms. Clyne, then rally on the roof for extract… Joule, we'll move on your go."

Yzak, who was first in line, nodded and tapped Dearka on the side of the leg, letting him know he was ready. Dearka sent the tap down the line to Athrun, who in turn tapped Nicol. The chain continued down the line until it reached Kira. Being the number six man in the stack, it was his job to be the door kicker.

Moving up to the front of the file, Kira placed himself in front of the door. Leaning back to gain momentum, Kira brought his foot up. With all the strength he could muster, He kicked the door where the lock sat, bursting it wide open. Quickly moving passed him, the Squad rushed the entrance and began their assault. One by one, they entered the hotel. While Kira waited to fall back into position in the file, he thought about his Squad Leader's earlier words _'Once we breach the complex, we need to clear it out and locate our principle within 5 mikes or we're condemning Ms. Clyne to her death'. _Shaking the thought out of his head as Mwu passed him, Kira brought his rifle and and followed the squad in.

**A/N - If its one thing I'm big on when it comes to stories, its character development. That's something I felt I didn't do so well so far in this story. Luckily I have a few ideas for the next chapter and hopefully I can build on that concept on this story and any stories in the future.**


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